Whales

This book explores the lives of the world’s largest living mammals. Drawing on the latest scientific research, Whales describes these incredible animals’ evolution from terrestrial to marine mammals, their life cycle, diversity and distribution, and the ecosystems of which they are a part. Whales highlights the many extraordinary aspects of these intelligent and social creatures, including the complex vocalizations they use to communicate over vast distances.

Philip Hammond, Sonja Heinrich, Sascha Hooker, and Peter Tyack investigate the role of whales in human culture, from whaling to whale watching, and emphasize how scientists monitor the current threats to whales and the methods they use to conserve their future. Spectacular photographs of whales in the wild reveal the private lives of these fascinating and majestic ocean giants.

What is a whale?1. There and back again2. Whales everywhere3. The circle of life4. The greatest free-divers5. Eat and be eaten6. Whale culture7. Changing attitudes8. Changing OceansFurther InformationIndexAcknowledgements

Whales

BBC Wildlife

"This remarkable book is a rare beast – packing a blue whale-sized amount of information into a porpoise-compact volume. The authors, all researchers at the highly regarded Sea Mammal Research Unit at University of St Andrews, really know their stuff, and it shows in coverage of a wide range of aspects of whale evolution, ecology and, most fascinating of all, whale culture. In addition, Whales does not flinch from exploring our, at times, shameful relationship with these compelling animals and the seas and rivers in which they live."